One-Punch Shepard
by Commander Mander
Summary: Jane Shepard may very well be the strongest being in the galaxy and can defeat any enemy in a single punch, yet no one knows or cares. That will all change when she attracts a self proclaimed disciple, the attention of a group advocating for the ultimate transcendence of humankind, and the attention of a species that threatens the galaxy. (inspired by One Punch Man anime)
1. A Hero for Fun

_Year: 2183_

 _Location: Vancouver, Canada_

It was a normal day so far. Business as usual. Peaceful. There wasn't really too much danger, except for maybe every now and then. It was Canada, after all.

Jane Shepard sat alone in her small apartment. She flipped through the channels and stopped on number 84, The Vancouver News Network. Suddenly, a red alert.

 _"Attention viewers. A mysterious being has appeared over the city and has begun to cause catastrophic levels of destruction. The being has already destroyed many homes and businesses. The Alliance is currently sending in troops to contain the situation."_

 _Hopefully everyone will make it out okay,_ Shepard thought to herself.

A crew member on the news rushed into the frame, handed the reported a note, then proceeded to quickly scurry off.

 _"I see. According to this report, all Alliance troops sent in have been decimated. Vancouver currently prays for a miracle."_

 _I guess I'll go._

* * *

The creature attacking the city began to approach a little boy who'd been cowering, sobbing, and crying for his mommy. He pulled his gray hoodie over his head as a means of protection. The creature lifted up it's armament, pointed it at the little boy, and pulled the trigger in satisfaction. Much to its surprise, once the weapon had fired, the child was no longer in it's range. It looked over its shoulder and noticed a woman, clad in a camo body suit, combat boots, and a brown cape, huddled over the little boy.

"Don't worry. You're safe now," Shepard reassured the little boy.

"Who the hell are you?" the creature gurgled.

"Me? I'm just a woman who's a hero for fun."

"Oh, really? What kind of half-assed back story is that?"

"What does it matter? What kind of hell did you crawl out of," Shepard insulted.

"I am a Scion. One of many, in fact. I was created to wreak havoc on Earth. No one will be able to stop me. No one will be able to the army of Scions coming soon. And no one, I mean NO ONE, will be able to st-"

Suddenly the creature was cut off by a blast to the face from Shepard's fist, disintegrating his head instantly.

Shepard stood in silence for a moment before dropping to her knees.

"All it took was one punch... DAMN IT!"

* * *

That night Shepard made a trip to the grocery store, purchased some ingredients, and returned to her apartment and made herself a dinner of steak and broccoli. As she cooked she could hear the news in the background.

 _"Tonight's headline, Unknown hero saves Vancouver from disgusting creature. More on that at 10 o'clock."_

"Unknown, huh?"

As the news report continued on in the background, she began to reminisce about the day she decided to become a hero.

* * *

 _Jane Shepard was on her way home from yet another failed job interview when she was knocked to the ground by a man who'd bumped into her. The man who'd charged her had toppled over, himself. Yet he quickly recovered and continued to run._

 _Once Shepard recovered she noticed a middle aged woman running after the man as quickly as she could, yet she was quite obviously unable to keep up._

 _"Someone help," the woman begged. "That man is getting away with my purse!"_ _Shepard, acting almost instinctually, began to chase after the man. The robber, noticing this, began to speed up. She tracked the man to an ally and tackled him down, yet much to her dismay, he had two other helpers waiting for him in the ally with a skycar. One of the men, much taller and much stronger than Shepard, plopped her off of his buddy and threw her to the ground like she was a feather._

 _"Ha! This puny female, fighting for justice. What a joke." The man helped his buddy off the ground and snatched the purse from his hands. He dug inside, and pulled out the credit chit. He threw the purse on top of Shepard. "This is all we need. You can give the old lady her purse back. We just needed the credits. Hehehe."_

 _The men hopped back into the vehicle, and before peeling off, left Shepard with a few insulting words. "Don't try to play the hero. That's not a woman's job."_

 _"Yeah, stick to cooking in the kitchen," the third guy, whose presence had been unnecessary, threw in from the back seat. They all laughed before peeling off in their blue skycar._

 _I'll show you what a woman can do, Shepard thought to herself as she stood up and wiped the blood off of her mouth with the back of her right arm._

 _She exited the ally with the woman's purse in her hand._

 _"Oh God! Thank you so much for getting my purse back," the woman thanked._

 _"Unfortunately, they took the credit chit. I'm so sorry..."_

 _The woman looked obviously dismayed, yet she thanked Shepard anyway for trying and putting her life on the line for her purse._

 _That day Shepard promised herself she'd never let another enemy escape, and the very next day she began a workout regime so rigorous that her face began to crack open and show nasty scars from the stress it was putting on her body._

* * *

That was just three years ago. Now she's become so strong she can take out any enemy with one punch.

She could hear the news continuing in the background, yet she didn't care to listen anymore.

She flipped off the television and continued her meal in silence.


	2. The Disciple

Shepard awoke early that morning and cooked herself a breakfast consisting of eggs, ham, and toast. As she ate, she watched the Vancouver News Network.

 _"Now for the next story, a series of mysterious probable murders have been occurring all across Vancouver. All victims appear to have suffered from severe brain hemorrhaging. No suspects are currently known at this time. We will report further on the situation as details surface."_

Shepard lazily turned her head toward the screen.

"Brain hemorrhaging, huh?" She flicked off the television, got dressed and headed for the supermarket to start her day.

* * *

In an ally, an Asari stood with a young man.

"Are you ready to feel a level of ecstasy you could have never dreamed possible?"

"Oh yeah, I'm ready. And you say if it's not what I imagined then you'll give me my money back?"

"Of course. But none of my clients have EVER asked for their money back."

"Oh boy! Here goes!"

She put her hand on the young man's chest and his body began to illuminate.

"Embrace eternity," she whispered in his ear. Soon after, his body flashed a bright green glow, he shouted, and he was dead on the ground in an instant.

The Asari yawned. "Ugh, that wasn't nearly as satisfying as my last victim. I need someone much more interesting to meld with. I'm tired of these back ally scum."

"So, you're the woman that's been hemorrhaging brains all across Vancouver," she heard from behind her. She turned fiercely.

"So? And what are you going to do about it?"

He stuck his hand out toward the Asari. "Reave." A biotic blast went shooting toward her, which she dodged in just an instant.

"Hmm, you think you're pretty strong, huh? Well bio-boy, I'd like to at least know your name before I kill you."

"Kaidan. I could ask the same of you."

"Morinth, though none of my victims live long enough to recite it." She suddenly sent a biotic blast of her own, jolting him from the ally to the middle of the street. She sauntered over to him and put her foot on his neck. "Embrace E-"

"What's going on here," Shepard asked having coincidentally stopped by the scene on her way from the grocery store. She was carrying two bags filled with meat, vegetables, and other grocery goodies.

"Stay out of this," Morinth blurted, throwing a biotic field toward Shepard and knocking her groceries out of her hands.

"HEY YOU BITCH HOW DARE YOU, THAT WAS GOING TO BE MY DINNER FOR TONIGHT, YOU'LL PAY FOR THIS!"

"Really? And what are y-" Shepard ended the Asari's sentence prematurely by punching her so furiously she pulverized her entire body. The woman no longer existed in any form. Shepard looked down at Kaidan.

"You look hurt. Are you okay?"

He clutched at the back of his head as he attempted to stand uneasily. "Yeah, I'm fine. Just a little bruised up. What is your name?"

"Me? Jane. Jane Shepard."

"I've never witnessed your amount of strength on any level. Let me be your disciple."

"Uh... okay? I'm going home now."

"I'll be at your apartment tomorrow morning at 10 am sharp."

"Pfft. Oookay." Shepard picked up what was salvageable of her groceries and headed home.

* * *

 _10:00 AM The Next Day_

Kaidan stood outside of Shepard's apartment and gave the door three hearty knocks. After about ten seconds of waiting, Shepard finally opened the door and peeped her head outside.

"Oh, it's you."

"Yes, may I come in?"

"Uhh, sure." _Damn it, I can't believe he actually showed up..._

When they entered the cramped apartment, Shepard instructed Kaidan to sit on the couch as she grabbed a flimsy folding chair and set it up across from him on the opposite side of the wooden coffee table. She grabbed two mugs from the kitchen and a pot of coffee. She set everything down on the table and requested that Kaidan help himself to as much coffee as his heart desired. He thanked her and poured himself a cup.

She took a sip and set her mug back down. "So, what brings you here? And I don't have all day, so please make it quick."

"Very well." Kaidan slurped at his coffee then sat the mug down on a coaster. "Just ten years ago, I led a fairly normal life. I was seventeen years old, I had a significant other, a wonderful family, and a part time job working on an apple orchard. Then suddenly, my entire life fell apart. A group of Batarians came across and ravaged my hometown. They slaughtered my family, the family of my significant other, and they even decimated my beloved apple orchard. They took some of the younger civilians of the town and turned them into slaves. The only reason I was able to get out alive was because I played dead under a pile of rubble. Once they were gone, I was discovered by the Alliance when they were sifting through the rubble for survivors. When they brought me into the refugee station, I was introduced to a young doctor named Chloe Michel. She mentioned that in the past she'd worked with biotic kids, implanting them with biotic amplifiers to strengthen them. I begged her to implant me. I wanted to become strong, and one day find the Batarian who ordered the hit on my town. So, I guess the reason that I am here is because I want to become as strong as you, to possess unquantifiable levels of strength so that someday I may be able to-"

Shepard pounded her fist down on the coffee table. "GODDAMMIT YOU IDIOT, I SAID I DIDN'T HAVE ALL DAY. SHORTEN THE STORY TO TWENTY WORDS OR LESS FOR GOODNESS SAKE!"

"Oh... very well then. Long story short, please teach me to be as strong as you."

"I see..." Shepard took a long sip of her coffee. "Kaidan, how old are you?"

"Twenty-seven."

"You're a bit older than me, but you're also a biotic, so I'm sure you'll surpass me in strength in no time. I'm twenty-five now, but I was twenty-two when I started my training three years ago."

"You really think I'll be as strong as you in no time?"

"Yes. If you're serious about this, we can begin training tomorrow."

"I am serious! Thank you so much, Master!"

Shepard sighed. "Please don't call me Master."

* * *

 _Location: Cerberus Headquarters_

 _The Illusive Man studied a feed from one of Cerberus' hidden cameras planted on Vacouver. A video of a young woman taking out one of the world's most powerful Ardat-Yakshi in one punch._

 _"That is the kind of strength humankind needs." The Illusive Man took a lengthy drag from his cigarette and sat it down in the glass ash tray, exhaling the smoke._

 _Miranda Lawson approached him from behind and sat a file on his side table. "That's the same woman that executed the beast that was ravaging the city. She took it down in one punch as well."_

 _The Illusive Man picked up his glass and sipped at the whiskey. "Ms. Lawson, deploy a team to her address and extend an invitation to Cerberus Headquarters. Bring her here by any means necessary, but keep her alive. She will make a fine human specimen for our little project." He took one more drag from his cigarette before putting it out._


	3. Head On

It was 10 AM in the morning when Kaidan appeared at Shepard's front door and knocked three times. He stood there for ten seconds holding a brown paper bag as he waited for her to answer. Finally she did, peeping her head out just a bit.

 _Dammit, he actually came back._

"Uh... hey. What's up with the bag?"

"It's for you. May I come in?"

"Sure." She opened the door all the way and allowed him entrance.

Once they both were inside, he sat on the couch and sat the brown paper bag on the coffee table while she headed to the kitchen to brew some coffee and bring out some mugs. She returned with all necessary products in hand, and a ragged folding chair tucked under her arm. She set everything together and took her seat.

"So, the bag?"

"Oh, right!" He carefully opened it and pulled out a small pound cake. "I made this for you. I wasn't sure what to get you as a thank you for making me your disciple, but I figured everyone likes cake!"

She blankly eyed the cake, pulled the covering off, and pulled off a small chunk with her fingers. She curiously sniffed at it before stuffing it into her mouth.

"What do you think?"

Her face went even blanker than before, as if that were possible.

 _Good lord, this is the driest cake I've ever tried in my life._

She took a sip of coffee to hopefully moisten the dry cake stuck in her throat. Once she was able to speak, she gave her opinion.

"Umm... it's a little dry. Maybe more milk next time, or butter, or anything that's not a dry ingredient. It sort of reminds me of dry wall."

Kaidan hung his head. "I see. The next cake will be better, I promise. Now," he started, pounding his fist on the table. "Shall we begin training?"

 _Shit, I totally forgot I don't have anything for this guy. I suppose I'll just have to improvise._

She cleared her throat. "Right, first lesson..." She scratched her head. "Umm... well how about we start by," suddenly she was both relieved and annoyed by a crash through her ceiling. In an instant, two Cerberus troops and a balding man appeared in her living room. The balding man put his hand to his ear. "Wilson, here. I've acquired the tar-" Shepard cut him off with a clean punch to the dome.

"WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU PEOPLE CAN'T YOU USE THE DOOR? YOU'RE GOING TO PAY FOR MY CEILING!"

The two Cerberus troops exchanged glances and tried to make a run for it, but Shepard punched them to death as well. She got down and started digging in their pockets.

"What are you doing," Kaidan asked.

"Looking for credits. Someone's paying for my ceiling."

Kaidan suddenly heard someone yelling, so he decided to take a peek out the window.

"Hey, Shepard. Come look!"

Shepard headed to the window and looked down to see a woman in a white and black, skintight body suit accompanied by a well built man also wearing a skintight body suit. Shepard jumped out of the third-story window landing on her feet, and Kaidan followed, using his biotics to slow his descent.

"Jane Shepard," the woman asked.

"Who the hell are you? Are you with the people who broke my ceiling?"

"I'll take that as a yes." The woman put her hand to her ear. "We've recovered the target. We'll be heading ba-"

Kaidan cut her off by lifting Jacob with his biotics and smashing him into a nearby brick wall. Kaidan stood guard over Jacob while Shepard put her fist in Miranda's face.

"Someone better start talking. I want names, NOW."

A worried look came upon Miranda and she cleared her throat.

"Very well then. My name is Miranda Lawson, and the man you just knocked into a brick wall is my companion Jacob Taylor. We're with an organization called Cerberus, and we-"

"Cerberus? I think I've heard of them before. Regardless, I'd like to know what you want with me. Get to the point please."

* * *

 _Long ago, there existed a brilliant young man. By way of his astonishing genius, he was able to make a number of contributions to the advancement of humankind. Eventually, however, he became disillusioned with the world. Though constantly showered with praise by some, none of his ideas or theories ever received even the slightest support from the scientific community._

 ** _"We should not only be striving for the advancement of human civilization, but also the artificial evolution of humans as a species."_**

 _That was the only dream he ever had, but not a single person came forward to help him fulfill that dream._

 ** _"Damn these imbeciles! 'Dangerous ideas?' Writing about me as if I were some freak? Do they really think humans have come this far by avoiding risks? These idiots think we no longer need to evolve? I will help humanity advance and show these alien races who's boss... even if I must do it all myself!"_**

 _Thereafter, he devoted himself to research. It was only much later in his life that his efforts began to yield results. He eventually created an organization that is well known today which he called "Cerberus," and with a team of scientists, doctors, a small army, and groups of wealthy backers, he conducted countless experiments with humans to create a new species. Eventually his experiments shifted to more and more extreme measures and-_

* * *

"You're just wasting time. What's this got to do with me?"

Kaidan's fist began to glow as he faced it in Miranda's direction. "My boss is a busy woman. Shorten your story to 20 words or less."

"Well," Miranda pulled out a handkerchief and wiped the sweat off of her forehead. "My boss has become very interested in your body."

"What? Tell him I'm not interested in old men."

"Shepard, I think what she means is this man is interested in using your body as research for his study on human evolution. I think the best course of action to take here would be to attack him head on. Otherwise, this might happen again."

"... Sure. Let's go." Shepard began to walk off.

"Wait, you want to go now?"

"Yeah, the Biotiball game is on tomorrow and I don't want to miss it."

"Hey, wait for me!"

* * *

 _The Illusive Man sat in his chair keeping track of his feeds when he suddenly pounded his fist on the table in anger._

 _"Damn it! According to Ms. Lawson's report, not only has Shepard wiped out a majority of the team we sent to the apartment, but she along with her protégé are on their way now. If they come, all of Cerberus' research, everything we've worked so hard for, could be destroyed. I won't let that happen." He smashed his cigarette into the ash tray._

 _"It looks like I have no other choice." He pressed a button on his side table. "Authorize for the release of the uhh... experiment we've been working on down on the lower level."_

 _EDI spoke up over the intercom. "Are you sure about this, Illusive Man? The subject appears to be agitated and significantly unstable following recent reconstructive surgery. I would advise you to at least speak with them before authorizing a release."_

 _"You're right, EDI. Make sure the subject is restrained by the time I get to the basement."_

 _"Affirmative."_


	4. Endurance

Shepard and Kaidan arrived to the secret Cerberus facility buried deep within a forest.

"Alright, time to take this building down," Shepard stated, readying her fist.

"I've got this one, boss. I want to show you what I can do."

Kaidan put his hands together and charged up ball of biotic fury, which he then hurled at the 10 story building, causing enough destruction to send it down in one go.

"Alright, boss. What's next?"

Shepard scratched her head. "That was it, huh? We could've at least seen what they had in store for us."

"Wait, it looks like we missed a spot," Kaidan started, pointing to what appeared to be a basement door.

"It looks like a basement. We're going in."

"Right behind you."

* * *

 _The Illusive Man entered the basement of the Cerberus facility._

 _"EDI, you've ensured that the subject is restrained?"_

 _"Of course."_

 _"Good."_

 _He walked to the end of the hall and approached an Asian man trapped inside a tube._

 _"Kai Leng? How are you doing? EDI tells me the biotic implants have agitated you."_

 _"No. It wasn't the surgery. How about the fact that I've been locked up in this basement for God knows how long. Me, the STORNGEST biotic Cerberus has genetically modified."_

 _"After the first surgery you became unstable and unable to control. There was no choice."_

 _"CONTROL?" He slammed his fists against the wall of the tube. "You IDIOT. I am the pinnacle of the next point in human evolution that Cerberus has sought so long for. My intelligence, my biotic powers, and even my physical strength are incomparable to your own. Does it upset you that I've surpassed my creator? You should be the one obeying me."_

 _The Illusive Man turned and began to mumble under his breath._

 _"You're a failure. It's true, you perform at levels the average human could only dream of, but it's basic humanity you lack."_

 _He turned back to Kai Leng._

 _"I came down here because there is a favor I must ask of you, as you're the only human I believe could accomplish this feat. There's a specimen I've been attempting to obtain." He pulled up a picture of Shepard and Kaidan on his Omni-tool. "She is immensely strong. Only you can defeat her. I want you to catch her for me."_

 _"Dead or alive?"_

* * *

"This is the longest hallway of all time. Where are all the stronger specimens they keep down here?"

Kaidan stopped in his tracks. "Wait. I think I see two people coming down the hall now." He gasped. "MOVE!"

Kai Leng came running down the hall with The Illusive Man sprinting behind him as closely as he could, but still trailing paces behind.

"I SEE TWO TARGETS. WHICH ONE DO YOU WANT ME TO CATCH, THE ONE ON THE LEFT OR THE ONE ON THE RIGHT?"

"IT'S THE ONE ON THE RIGHT."

"THEN I GUESS THAT MAKES THE ONE ON THE LEFT USELESS!" Kai Leng lifted Kaidan with his biotics and smashed him against the wall, a move he then followed up with throwing the Illusive Man to the far end of the hallway.

"Kaidan! You okay?"

Kaidan didn't respond, his body still pressed into the wall.

"I'm sure you're fine." She turned to Kai Leng. "You the strongest one around here?"

"Yes, I am. We have a combat experimentation room here where the strongest go to fight. Two walk in and the best comes out."

Shepard dusted off her hands. "You turned Kaidan into a piece of modern art. You're ON."

* * *

Shepard and Kai Leng stood at opposite ends of the room across from each other.

Kai Leng unsheathed his sword. "Let the bloodbath flow." Out of nowhere a ball of biotic energy was thrust in his direction, which didn't effect him at all. He looked to the doorway where he saw Kaidan, crawling and badly scathed. "Still alive, huh?"

Kaidan dashed toward Kai Leng, flying around him, throwing shockwaves and other biotic combat moves at him. He thrust himself into the air and came down with a smashing blow, but Kai Leng countered him with a slash to his side. He then used his biotics to throw him at Shepard. He landed at her feet.

"Kaidan, you're all bruised up. There's no need to push yourself too hard," Shepard reassured.

"No... let me..." He used all of his energy to build up a shockwave and hurl it toward Kai Leng, but he countered it with his own biotics causing all of the energy to electrocute Kaidan.

Shepard turned to him with a shocked expression on her face. "KAIDAN, ARE YOU OKAY?"

"Y-yes..." The static energy had caused Kaidan's hair to blow up into an afro.

"N-NO YOU'RE NOT. YOUR HAIR!"

Kai Leng laughed from the end of the hallway. Shepard responded with a grin.

"It looks like you've gone and gotten my hopes up."

* * *

The Illusive Man, badly hurt and limping, approached the doorway of the combat experimentation room.

 _I've always been critical of humanity for not being as strong as they could be. If memory serves, it was only after The First Contact War that it occurred to me how great humanity could become. A plan to evolve the entirety of the human race took precedence. A utopia for humankind. A galaxy that would bend at our will._

He dropped to his knees.

 _I must see this through._

He stood once again and continued to limp.

 _Compared to my anguish caused during The First Contact War, the physical pain I feel now is nothing._

He made it in the entryway in time to see the battle.

"What are you waiting for, Shepard? Bring it on."

 _Kai Leng- A biotic warrior. The strongest and most brutal creation ever birthed by Cerberus. Let's see how this Shepard, at her archaic stage of human development, fares against a fighter that is the final form of artificial evolution, or will you be the trigger of a new evolution... I guess I'll wait and see..._

"Oh, I see. You're supposed to be strong," Kai Leng taunted.

Shepard walked toward him, fiercely. "Don't disappoint me now. You're the strongest fighter in this place, aren't you? You're clearly not the same as the people they sent to my house earlier. I can feel the confidence oozing from you."

"THEN LET THE BATTLE BEGIN!" Kai Leng sprinted so quickly to Shepard's back it was almost as if he'd teleported. He readied his sword but stopped suddenly. A look of surprise came over him. He cowered to the opposite end of the room without making an attempt to hurt Shepard.

"Umm... what are you doing?"

"You're just going to back off? Kai Leng, what are you doing," The Illusive Man shouted.

Kai Leng stood with his back against the wall, his heart beating from his chest.

 _If I'd attacked her just now she would've killed me. Who the hell is this woman? She's just leaving herself wide open, yet every nerve in my body is screaming out danger._

"GODDAMN YOU, HOW THE HELL DID YOU GET SO STRONG?"

Shepard sighed. "So, you wanna know, too? Fine. Kaidan, you listen carefully, too.

Kaidan sat up the best he could, clutching his abdomen.

 _She's just going to tell us all, right now? The secret to the boss' power?_

"'I'd like to know, too!" The Illusive Man limped further into the room.

"Huh? Who are you?"

"I'm The Illusive Man."

"Oh. Okay, well then listen up everyone."

 _It's too risky. She's going to tell these guys her secret, too?_

"First, the most important thing you must do is stick to an intense training regimen."

 _She did all of that with training? No genetic modification or enhancement? I don't believe this..._

"Listen, Kaidan. You have to keep doing it. No matter how hard it gets. It took me three years to get this strong. ONE HUNDRED PUSH UPS, ONE HUNDRED SIT UPS, ONE HUNDRED SQUATS, AND A TEN KILOMENTER RUN. EVERY SINGLE DAY. And, of course, make sure you eat three meals a day. Just a banana in the morning is fine, but the most important thing is to never use the heater or air conditioner in the summer or winter to help strengthen your mind. In the beginning, you'll wish you were dead. You might start thinking 'what's the harm in taking a day off?' But for me, in order to be the strongest hero I could be, no matter how tough it was, even if I was spitting blood or bleeding internally, I never stopped. I continued to do squats even when my legs were so heavy they refused to move. Even when my arms started to make clicking noises or my elbows wouldn't bend, I refused to discontinue doing push ups. A year and a half later, I started to notice a difference. My face began to crack open and bleed, and I had become stronger. In other words, you gotta train like hell to the point where your face starts to crack open from stress. That's the only way to become strong. These experiments you're fooling around with, this 'transcendence of humanity' and evolution crap will never make it this far. Humans are strong because we have to ability to change ourselves!"

The Illusive Man appeared to be dumbfounded.

 _Is this woman serious?_

"Shepard, you are so... FULL OF CRAP!" Kaidan stood completely and became angered.

"What's your problem?"

"That's nothing but standard strength training! Not even that, it's not even intense! Ten kilometers isn't an extraordinary amount of running, it's like a normal amount of running! I ASKED YOU TO HELP ME GET STORNGER, NOT LIE TO ME AND TELL ME STUPID JOKES! You're clearly stronger than what you'd get from a normal amount of training! WE WANT TO KNOW YOUR TRUE SECRET!"

"Kaidan..." Shepard looked him in the eye. "You might not believe me but that's seriously all I did."

"So be it." Kai Leng's body began to pulse with energy.

"No, Kai Leng, WAIT!"

"If you don't want to tell us your secret then let the battle begin." Flashes of biotic power began to exude from his skin and he began to glow. "I'm sure you're not stronger than me anyway! But, since you pissed me off, I am going to destroy you!" His black armor exploded off of him to reveal a set of white armor beneath. His muscles grew and he jumped into the air, crashing down into the center of the room and breaking the ground where he landed. "After I kill you, I'm going to kill your protégé and The Illusive Man, then I'll track down every Cerberus Operative and kill them all within a week. Cerberus will be destroyed by next Sunday and I'll finally be able to break out of this hell hole!" He dashed toward Shepard, stopped short of reaching her and threw her into the air.

 _No, it can't be._

Kai Leng jumped into the air and began to toss Shepard around the room like a rag doll.

 _Damn it. I think I've made a terrible mistake._

"Shepard," Kaidan screeched.

 _This guy said he was going to kill everyone in Cerberus within a week._

"DIE, SHEPARD!"

 _If he says a week from now is next Sunday... Next Sunday... That means today is Sunday, too..._

Kai Leng rushed toward Shepard with his sword in hand ready to stab it straight through her heart.

 _That means..._

"No one can stop me! Get ready to die!"

 _That means... today is..._

"THE BIOTIBALL GAME!" Shepard punched clean through Kai Leng's chest, grabbing his pulsing heart and crushing it in her hands. She dropped to her knees. "NOOOOOO I MESSED UP. I'M GOING TO MISS IT, I'M GOING TO MISS IT!"

"What the hell is her problem."

"I'm pretty sure she's upset about this." Kaidan handed The Illusive Man a flier with the Sunday's competing Biotiball teams on it.

"Hey, Shepard. The game started about thirty minutes ago. Your apartment is about an hour away, so if we hurry, we can probably make it in time for the third quarter."

"You think I can still catch some of it if I hurry?"

"Yes!"

"Kaidan, let's get out of here!"

"Right!"

Kaidan and Shepard ran out of the building leaving The Illusive Man by his lonesome.

 _I think I'm done with Cerberus for now. Instead of changing humanity, maybe I should just change myself for now._


	5. Examinations

The Citadel Council gathered together in the meeting room. The purpose was to deliberate on the future of the Spectres, an elite group of Alliance Operatives. Councilor Udina stood at the head of the table.

"It's decided, Kasumi Goto will remain the top ranked Class C Spectre."

"I don't know why she has no desire to move to Class B," Councilor Tevos said, clasping her hands in front of her face.

"Our next item on the agenda- the 55th Alliance Spectre certification exam and the circumstances surrounding it. Avina, please bring up the statistics for our current year," Councilor Udina inquired.

"We currently have 11,000 candidates with the exam offered at six different venues. That is up 30% from our previous year's examination."

"Thank you, Avina," the Turian Councilor started. "But we shouldn't be happy with simple quantity. Even with more candidates, we should ensure our quality of Spectre is not diminished. Therefore, we should be even more critical during this year's evaluations."

"Also," Udina added, "I heard that a certain person of interest is taking the exams this time. I'm not a hundred percent positive, but I'm confident his participation will indeed occur."

Councilor Udina pulled up a picture of Kaiden on the screen in the meeting room as everyone nodded in agreement.

* * *

"Candidates, please form two lines for registration, each line a single file," Shepard and Kaidan heard as they approached the Spectres examination at the Vancouver venue.

Tension was felt by everyone in the gym as they waited for the competition to begin. Everyone, except for Shepard, at least, who stood in the center of everyone in a black bikini scratching her ass. Some even took the time to point and laugh at this red headed woman who clearly didn't seem to belong. Soon, a judge gathered everyone's attention and had them face the front.

"The examination will begin shortly, everyone participating in the first go through get ready for side to side jumps for 30 seconds!"

Everyone lined up and the whistle blew. Shepard ended up passing everyone by a milestone.

"Now for the 1500m run!"

Shepard beat the second best by a full minute.

"Weightlifting!"

Shepard ended up beating second best by 100 pounds, and that was just with one hand.

"Shot put!"

Shepard threw it through the roof!

"Vertical jumping!"

She probably could've gone higher if the ceiling wasn't in the way.

"Whack-a-mole!"

She had no clue why this was a competition, but she killed it, regardless.

"Punching machine!"

It's pretty obvious how that went.

* * *

At the end of it all, Shepard stood in the locker room, still in her bikini, going over how she thought she did.

 _Well that settles it. I'm sure I did fine._

As she was contemplating, she was approached by Kaiden.

"Oh, you're done already?"

"Yeah, I just finished the written test. It was so easy, anyone could've scored 100 percent on it. That just leaves the fitness test."

"Is there really a point to you taking the fitness test?"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, with your biotics and all... never mind. Let's just wait until we get our results..."

* * *

Shepard got dressed and sat in the locker room with her results in an envelope when Kaiden approached.

"Shepard, did you get your results?"

"Yeah, they're in this envelope. What did yours say?"

"They told me I was a certified S-Class Spectre. I doubt there's too much of a difference between classes. What does yours say?"

Shepard pulled her results out of the envelope half way.

"Wow, it looks like I'm S-Class, too!" she exclaimed.

"You must've gotten a hundred percent like I did. What did they ask you in your interview?"

"Interview?" Shepard scratched her head. "What interview?"

"They pulled me into a private room and asked me some weird questions."

* * *

 _Kaiden sat in a chair a few meters away from a table full of guys in suits. The one who sat in the center pulled out a photo of the building where Shepard had fought Ki Leng._

 _"Mr. Alenko, does this building look familiar to you? We've identified a paramilitary group that goes by the name Cerberus. We tracked them to this location, yet when we went to investigate, we found the building destroyed. We suspect you to be the one responsible. Did you destroy this building?"_

 _Kaiden waited a while before responding._

 _"I did."_

 _The men exchanged bewildered glances before stamping 'Class S certified' on his review sheet._

* * *

"Ah, maybe it's because they found your performance satisfactory they found no need for an interview."

"Or maybe..." Shepard turned turned towards Kaiden with an embarrassed look on her face. "It's because I'm a Class C Spectre with a score of 70 points."

Kaiden looked surprised.

"I see, because you only pulled out the form halfway you assumed it was an 'S' as opposed to a 'C', which looks a lot like an 'S' when only viewed from the top..."

"HEY NO ONE TOLD YOU TO ANALYZE IT!"

"Don't worry, Shepard. I'll speak to the people in charge about this. It must've been a mistake!"

"No, don't! You'll just embarrass me!"

The two of them were interrupted when a voice came over the loudspeaker calling for their attention.

"Mr. Alenko, Ms. Shepard, there will be a seminar for successful candidates at 1600. Your attendance would be much appreciated."

Shepard sighed. "Come on, let's just get this over with so we can go home."

The two exited the locker room and headed to the meeting.

* * *

Ashley Williams sat in her apartment looking over reports when her Omni-tool was pinged by Councilor Udina.

"We've found the biotic we've been looking for, due to his past accomplishments, we made an exception and made him a Class S certified candidate. We were just contacting you to make sure of your approval."

"That's fine with me."

"Thank you, Ms. Williams." Udina hung up.

Ashley pushed over a few papers on her desk to reveal Kaiden's file.

"Kaiden Alenko, huh..."

* * *

Kaiden and Shepard sat behind desks in a classroom while a weird looking alien they'd never seen before stood at a podium in the front lecturing them on what it meant to be a Spectre.

"I am known as Javik, the last Prothean, and as a Class A Spectre, the Council sent me to give you this presentation. As a Spectre..."

As the Prothean continued to talk, Shepard sat daydreaming while chewing her gum obnoxiously. She ended up blowing a big enough bubble to cover her face in gum, which she pulled off of her face, promptly shoving it back into her mouth.

Javik loudly cleared his throat, visibly annoyed.

"As we know, one of you barely passed the examination, so I'd advise that one of you to get your stupid red haired little head together and start taking this position seriously!"

Shepard continued chewing her gum as she contemplated what she'd be eating for dinner that night.

Javik, completely angered by Shepard's ignorance, threw a warp field putting a whole in the wall behind her.

"Your primitive faces are going to be all over the extranet soon, and you will be publicly representing this organization every moment of your lives. Do not embarrass us!"

* * *

As Shepard and Kaiden walked home, they skimmed though a book about the history of the Spectres.

"Apparently the Spectres were found in 693 CE when a Salarian operative resorted to treacherous methods in order to dispurse a hostage situation. Despite the Council being in disagreement over his handling of the mission, he got everyone out alive, and they rewarded him by forming the Spectres and making him the first. Isn't that awesome, Shepard?"

"Huh? Oh, yeah sure," Shepard replied, clearly not listening.

"Well, we're Spectres now, and we can hold our heads up with pride and dignity."

"I guess you're right. This looks like my stop. I'll see y-"

"Wait before you go," Kaiden held out his hand. "I guess this officially makes me your protege. I look forward to seeing where we go from here."

Shepard, confused, ended up shaking his hand before waving him goodbye and heading home.

 _I really should not have agreed to taking that guy on as a protege, especially since he's ranked above me. What does he need me for?_

* * *

Javik sat in Coucilor Udina's office as the Councilor overlooked the city.

"Those imbeciles that were recruited today, I have no clue how they passed. They didn't even know who I was. They will never be successful. Especially the red headed one."

"Hmm... actually Mr. Alenko got a perfect score on the exam. He is an extremely talented biotic and got a Class S Spectre position right off the bat. And the 'red-headed' one you speak of, Shepard, got a perfect score on the fitness test. That is the only reason she was accepted. Yet, she smashed everyone one of our Spectre fitness records by inconceivable margins. It's as if a god lives in that body. You've already been outranked by Mr. Alenko. Shepard can surpass you soon enough."

Javik's face darkened upon the statement.

* * *

Shepard continued her walk, passing by the lake along the way as she contemplated her role as a Spectre.

 _If I'm in Class C now, then all I have to do is make it to number one, then to Class B, then Class A, and Class S is even above that. I guess Kaiden really is pretty talented._

She sighed.

 _I don't know. Maybe this isn't even how I wanted to save the world._

Suddenly she was ambushed by... Javik? He began glowing and making all kinds of showy gesticulations.

"The examination process isn't over yet! A lot of us Spectres hate being outranked. This is how we eliminate the weaker ones early, by challenging them to a fight!"

Before he could even make a move, he was surprised to find himself flattened on the ground upon Shepard punching him in the face. Once he was dealt with, she continued on her way.

* * *

Shepard ended up getting a message from Kaiden that night instructing her to meet him at a location he'd disclosed for a "proposal". The next day she got geared up in her hero suit and met with Kaiden in the middle of an empty field.

"So, why did you want to meet me here?"

"Shepard, I was looking up Spectre rankings last night and apparently we're both at the bottom of our classes. Currently, I outrank you, but I want to challenge you to a battle so we can see who's really stronger."

"Kaiden, I really don't want to hurt you."

"I'll be fine, Shepard. Just get in position and I'll explain the rules."

Shepard stood a football fields length away from Kaiden.

"Is this far enough?"

"That's perfect. Now for the battle."

"This is just for practice, right? Not for real?"

"Yeah, but I want you to give it your all. I won't be holding back. Dodge every move you can."

"Okay. I just want to state that I don't like this one bit."

"I know, and Shepard, thank you."

Kaiden got into a fighting stance and started glowing furiously. He threw a shockwave towards Shepard, which she dodged pretty easily. He then rushed at her and threw a warp field. She jumped into the air landing mere meters away from there he'd thrown it.

"Jeez, that one almost burned my suit."

Kaiden, bewildered, continued throwing attacks all around Shepard who swiftly jumped away from them. He then jumped into the air and threw multiple shockwaves as he charged towards her. Suddenly she was out of his view.

"Where in the world did she-" He felt a tap on his shoulder and turned to see Shepard.

Shocked, he landed back on the ground.

"Shepard, I asked you to take this seriously. Dodge every attack you can, and don't hold back."

She sighed. "Okay..."

"Now, time for something new."

He released an incineration blast so strong that everything around them turned red. There was no doubt in his mind Shepard was caught in it, yet, when he turned around, Shepard was readying a blow that was sure enough to kill Kaiden if it'd hit, yet she paused inches in front of his face. The gust from the blow littered the air with dust and debris that was sent flying. She then playfully slapped him in he face.

"This battle has definitely worked up an appetite. Let's go grab some poutine!"

Kaiden was completely taken aback.

 _Shepard is so powerful, I don't even think she's completely mustered the full extent of her strength. I don't think I'll ever be as powerful as her. Ever._

* * *

Ashley Williams was getting out of a Skycab as she was finishing up a call on her Omni-tool.

"Thanks for pinging me his location, Councilor. I'm just going to talk to him about what the Spectres expect from him.

* * *

Shepard and Kaiden were in a restaurant eating poutine while making light conversation.

"Shepard, you may be stronger than me, but it looks like there's another competition we can try our hands at."

He pointed towards a board with a poutine eating competition on it.

"Most baskets eaten wins."

Moments later, Shepard's face was planted in her food as she was too full to continue while Kaiden was shoving the last bit in his mouth.

"Looks like I got you beat on that one."

"Too. Much. Poutine," she groaned.

As everyone in the restaurant applauded Kaiden's achievement, the group fell silent when the door opened to reveal the top ranked Class A Spectre, Ashley Williams.

"Is that... oh my god!" one customer announced.

"Oh my goodness, it's Ashley Williams! She's so beautiful and perfect!" A male customer exclaimed.

Another customer just started senselessly screaming.

"Hey you, you're Kaiden Alenko, right?"

"I am. And you are?"

"Ashley Williams, top ranked Class A Spectre. Is it alright if we talk outside for a second?"

"Sure."

* * *

A few minutes later, Kaiden returned to his seat at the table.

"So, did she come to challenge you?"

"No."

"What? A Class A Spectre coming to introduce herself and she doesn't even want to fight? What gives?"

"She came to congratulate me on my position."

"Are you serious?" Shepard asked, angered.

"Excuse me?" A female customer interrupted. "Do you know Ashley Williams?"

"Uh, sure..." Kaiden replied.

"May... may I shake your hand?"

Kaiden contemplated for a bit before putting out his hand, which the woman shook. She then shouted and passed out.

"He's so cool and handsome!" A female customer proclaimed.

Another one screamed and then passed out as well.

* * *

The two of them headed home as Shepard continued the conversation.

"Man Class S and Class C Spectres sure get treated differently. She even gave you a welcome gift." Shepard put her hands behind her head. "Well, we're Spectres now. Regardless of what happens, let's just make sure to always do our best, okay?"

"Yeah."

Kaiden reminisced about the conversation he'd had with Ashley earlier.

* * *

 _"Spectres are meant to be the best of what every species has to offer, the embodiment of courage, determination, and self-reliance." She paused. "There's no need to glare at me like that. So, how did the examination go?"_

 _"It was a joke. Tests like that are a waste of time, just like this conversation. If you're going to fight, then fight."_

 _Kaiden began to ready himself when Ashley put her hand up._

 _"Being hot blooded is fine, but you take it too far. You'll just end up getting burned." She crossed her arms. "Despite your criticism of the group, we're lucky to have you. We have expect great things from you, Mr. Alenko."_

* * *

Kaiden stopped in his tracks.

"Shepard, I'll be back."

She waved him off with a smile as he turned and went. She turned back and continued her path home.

* * *

Ashley leaned over her balcony thinking about what Kaiden said.

 _A joke, huh. What an interesting guy._

* * *

That night Shepard sat on her floor eating cake frosting in her pajamas when she was interrupted by Kaiden letting himself into her apartment with a ginormous sack on his back.

"So, this is what you meant when you said you'd be back?"

"I went to grab my stuff. Shepard, may I live here?"

"Absolutely not."

He threw a large stack of money on the table.

"I have rent money!"

"Uh... did you bring a toothbrush?"


	6. Tomorrow's Problems, Tomorrow's Me

_It's been five days since I became a Class C Spectre. There haven't been any serious incidents so far, and, for some reason, Kaiden has been staying in my apartment._

Shepard looked over at Kaiden who was scribbling in a notebook.

"Uhh... what are you doing?"

"I'm taking notes of your training regimen," Kaiden replied, drawing diagrams of Shepard reading Fornax and flicking through networks on television.

 _Damn it, I don't have anything to teach this guy. I feel bad, like I'm scamming him or something. He's already higher than me in rank, plus he's a biotic. Maybe I should at least make something up so he's not just writing down bullshit about my day to day activities, but strength training is all I've got! Maybe I should just-_

"By the way," Shepard's thoughts were cut short by Kaiden's interruption, "at the seminar, Javik said that Class C Spectres that show no hero activity within a week would be cut from the registry."

"What?! He said that?"

"Yes. Weren't you listening?"

"Obviously not. But I was watching the news and they haven't reported anything!"

"The news only reports serious threats, like dangerous aliens or acts of terroism. Class C Spectres have to seek out smaller crimes within their home planets, like stray raiders, red sand dealers, or other random attacks. Most Class C Spectres get discouraged and end up changing careers, becoming mercs, or even becoming raiders or drug dealers themselves. But, just like a salesman, nothing big will come your way without a little legwork."

Shepard jumped up in a haste and began shoving her limbs into her costume.

"Wait, where are you going?" Kaiden asked.

"I HAVE TO FIND CRIME TO FIGHT. I CAN'T GO WITH A CLASS S BECAUSE YOU'LL JUST END UP GETTING ALL THE GLORY!"

"Wait! But as your student-"

"Kaiden," Shepard paused as she put on her gloves. "When I first started training it was my desire to save people that pushed me to become stronger. You've already surpassed physical strength, plus you're a biotic, so in order to grow, you must change your mentality."

 _I'm just making all this shit up..._

"For now, your goal should be to break into the top ten of the S Class."

Kaiden stood silent for a moment.

"Thank you, Shepard. I will!"

 _Thank goodness he bought that..._

* * *

After her conversation with Kaiden, Shepard sped around town looking for crime to fight.

She ran... and ran... and ran some more...

But the city was quiet. She sighed.

"I still have one more day left, so I guess I'll just head home. I'll leave tomorrow's problems to tomorrow's me..."

* * *

It was early afternoon the next day as Shepard was standing in the center of town with a worried look on her face.

 _Damn it, today is quiet, too. I only have one more day before I-_

Shepard's thoughts were suddenly cut short by a stray bullet flying in her direction, which she caught with her fingers. She looked over towards the offender, who'd been someone she'd recognized.

"Oh, you. You're that one former Spectre. Sirius, Sinjin, Sanctum..."

"It's Saren. How dare you not recognize the greatness that stands before you. I have a score to settle with you, Jane Shepard."

He shot at her once again, but this time she caught the bullet with her teeth and broke it."

"I'm not in the mood today, Sarah. I'm a little on edge, and anyone who stands in my way... gets punched."

"There they are," the two of them heard a young girl shout. The both of them turned to see a little girl holding hands with a younger looking Turian with white facial markings.

"Ha, it looks like she's pegged you for a bad guy," Shepard laughed.

"She's talking about you, Scarface," the young Turian replied.

"Me, but what did I do?"

"She's been running around town with a scary look on her face since yesterday," the child cried.

"I'm a Spectre, and it's my duty to stop people like you from causing terror."

"What! I'm a Spectre, too!"

"I've never heard of any Spectre like you."

"So, I just started!"

As the argument continued, a large crowd began to grow.

"Isn't that Tarquin Victus," one spectator asked.

"Yeah, I heard he's the real deal. His dad is a Spectre, too," another crowd goer replied.

"Even Class C Spectres get recognized if they're in the top ten, so how about we cause a little scene?"

Suddenly Tarquin was cut off by grenades being thrown at him. Although not hitting him directly, the impact knocked him out cold.

"Sanguine, what the hell did you do that for?"

"He was just a mere distraction. Since you've decided to become one of those worthless Spectres, I'll just put you in a position where you have no choice but to fight me!"

The crowd goers panicked and ran away as Saren threw a cluster of grenades toward Shepard, every single one of which she dodged, and ended up hitting multiple buildings.

"Come on, you're a Spectre. Try to stop me before I kill everyone in this city!"

One of the grenades hit a shuttle that ended up flying towards the ground almost crushing a little boy in a gray hoodie trying to escape the fight. Shepard stopped it before it could crush him.

"Why can't you just let me do my job and look for bad people trying to harm the city." She scratched at her facial scars as she thought. "Wait, bad people..." She looked up at Saren on what looked like a hoverboard, soaring over the city, throwing grenades at buildings, and shooting at civilians with a sniper rifle.

"Come and get me, Shepard!"

"Here I am," Shepard replied punching him in the back of the head as he soared through the sky. Saren ended up smashed into the ground.

"I hope this counts as work," she mumbled to herself.

* * *

Councilor Udina sat at his terminal looking over a report.

"Avina, you say that the former Spectre, Saren Arterius was brought down in Vancouver by a Class C Spectre?"

"That is correct, Councilor. Would you like me to bring up the reports for the abandoned city you were thinking of investigating?"

"We already put in a formal request."

"Would you like me to go?"

Udina was so startled by the voice that he ended up knocking over his coffee cup.

"Subject Zero? What are you doing here?"

"I heard you were starting an investigation and didn't ask for me to contribute. You think I can't handle it," she asked as she began to glow with biotic fury.

"Actually," the Asari Councilor interrupted, "we didn't see this as a Class S Spectre matter."

Jack calmed down.

"Well make sure you contact me if you find anything worth fighting." She then exited the room.

Udina sighed in relief.

* * *

Later that day, Udina called a meeting with the Council in Vancouver.

"Udina," the Turian Councilor started, "I heard you gathered us here regarding a pressing matter."

"Yes." Udina brought up feeds from all around Earth. "I've been getting reports from various cities all around the planet. Things are looking good so far, but I have concerns about this abandoned city on the outskirts of Vancouver." Udina brought up the feed of the destroyed city. "I've already put in a request for two Class A Spectres to investigate."

The Turian Councilor looked closely at the feed.

"It looks like something big looms here. Very well, who have you sent?"

* * *

Nihlus Kryik and Garrus Vakarian stood at the entrance of the condemned city.

"I don't understand why they sent two Turians to investigate a strictly human matter," Nihlus scoffed.

"Regardless, if there is anything big here, and we defeat it, it'll just shoot us further up the ranks. We can't let Ashley Williams hold the top spot fore-" Garrus was cut off by a terrifying shriek. "What the hell was that?"

"I don't know, but whatever it is isn't taking me down without a fight," Nihlus said, readying an assault rifle.

Suddenly a gigantic shockwave went flying right over them and hitting an abandoned shuttle behind them, flipping it over. They turned around slowly to a slim, eight foot tall creature that resembled a distorted naked Asari.

"Spirits, Garrus! What in the hell is-" The creature shrieked again and threw Nihlus into a brick wall. It then began to creep toward Garrus.

"Wait! Before you try to kill me," Garrus kept the creature distracted as he called for help from his Omni-tool behind his back. "Where did you come from?"

The creature gave him a bewildered look before throwing a singularity and then tossing him halfway across the abandoned city.

* * *

The Council received the alert from Garrus' Omni-tool.

"The Spectres we sent to investigate the abandoned city have sent an S.O.S." The Asari Councilor pointed out. "It says they are requesting one Class S Spectre. I've already sent out a Class-wide request."

* * *

 _Aria T'loak was sitting in Omega on her famous leather couch watching Hanar jugglers when she got a message passed to her by her assistant, Bray._

 _"Aria, the Council is requesting your help on a serious matter."_

 _She sighed. "On Earth? Like I'm going to make it in time. Tell them I'm on an urgent mission."_

* * *

 _Wrex was sitting on his throne on Tuchanka when another Krogan passed him a message._

 _"Clan leader, the Council needs your help."_

 _He read the message and groaned._

 _"Tell them I'm busy. Uvenk, send in the fertile females."_

* * *

 _The top Class S Spectre was traveling to an uncharted planet with a ship full of dead raiders when they received a message on their Omni-tool._

 _"The Council needs a Class S Spectre to help out with a situation on Earth. I am flattered by their request, but it appears as if it was sent to everyone in Class S, meaning that I am not being specifically requested, and as they know, I only go where my needs are most dire."_

 _They continued through space on their way to the uncharted world._

* * *

The creature stood over Garrus' body. As it bent down to pick him up, it could hear footsteps. It turned around to see Shepard wearing a flannel and jeans with a bag of groceries in hand walking in its direction. It let out a loud shriek and hovered over Shepard.

 _Damn it, I forgot to buy seafood stock._

* * *

Later that night Shepard was cooking up a stew when Kaiden entered the apartment.

"What's cooking, Shepard."

"Just some... uhh... calamari stew."

"I saw all of the tentacles outside the door. Where did you get those from?"

"There was a... sale today. At the supermarket."

"That's good. I was just doing research on seafood. It's really good for brain function, plus it protects against heart disease."

"That's nice to know. How about you grab some bowls and I'll bring the pot over to the coffee table."

That night, they ate dinner together as the watched the news.


	7. The Meteor

_Councilor Udina was sitting at the terminal in his office typing up reports when suddenly an URGENT! message pinged his Omni-tool. It was from Admiral Hackett._

 _"What is it, Admiral?"_

 _"Councilor, the scientists here at Arcturus Station have been monitoring the large mass they'd pinged a few months back. It appears that it's suddenly changed course, and it looks like it might be headed in your direction._

 _"Hmm... and how much time do we have?"_

 _"Not long."_

 _"I'll let the others know immediately."_

* * *

Kaiden was standing on the balcony of the apartment finishing up a call.

"I see. I'll be there immediately."

He approached Shepard who was laying on the floor watching Elcor Shakespeare in her pajamas.

"Shepard, the Council has called me in for something. I'll be back later."

"Maybe you're getting fired," she announced, waving him off.

* * *

Kaiden arrived at the Spectre Headquarters for Vancouver and was approached by a Drell.

"Ah, you must be Kaiden. It is very nice to make your acquaintance. I am Thane Krios."

 _He's a high ranking Class S Spectre. That guy's the real deal._

"The Council called me to come here."

"Everyone else is at headquarters. Hardly anyone works this branch anymore. They called in every Class S Spectre, but you and I are the only ones who showed up."

"Why haven't the others showed?"

"I'm not sure. Maybe they're too far away. Some of the more selfish ones don't even bother, but why would they? We are only called upon when it is a matter of life or death, and today's dilemma is no exception. The Council received a warning of something big, Category I, which means that all life in this sector is threatened."

"Do you know what it is?"

"A meteor is headed towards Vancouver. You should escape with friends and loved ones like most others already have before it is too late."

Kaiden's eyes widened.

"What? They're not going to send out a warning or anything?"

"The Council said they would send one thirty minutes before impact. It is sure to cause panic."

As soon as he'd finished his sentence a warning siren was heard followed by the voice of Avina.

"Good day, Vancouver. There is a meteor currently headed towards the city. Again, a meteor is headed towards the city. Do not panic, please proceed with caution. Prompt escape is advised. Good day, Vancouver..."

"Sir, why aren't you escaping?"

"Thank you, but you don't have to call me sir, and fraying away from danger seems pointless when you are a dying man. I try to be as selfless as possible considering the little time I have left," his sentence was interrupted by a bout of coughing. "Also, my son and I share a home here. So wh- oh, it appears he left."

* * *

The city amassed in chaos as everyone was hurriedly attempting to escape.

"The threat level is Category I, please evacuate in an orderly fashion," Avina continued to ring over the intercom.

Kaiden rushed toward the center of the city as everyone panicked, running the streets and causing traffic jams.

 _That thing is huge. There's already no time for anyone to escape. If no one does anything about the meteor, then not only will Vancouver be destroyed, but the neighboring cities will also sustain damage. I didn't think I'd be testing out this new amp so soon, but I can't let the city be destroyed._

Kaiden charged into the air and landed on top of a building.

 _Plus, Shepard lives here, and I can't escape without her._

As Kaiden was readying an incineration blast something soared over his head, landing next to him with a hard _thunk_ and a clink of metal.

"Mr. Alenko, we have come to assist."

"A... Geth Prime? Class S. You must be Legion?"

"That is incorrect. We are a safe distance away, although we are a prototype operating with Legion's authority. We have come armed with specialized equipment. Please proceed to a safe distance."

The Geth Prime spread its arms out as five long tubes ejected from its chest.

"Fire."

Five missiles projected from the tubes and headed for the meteor.

 _Damn it, I can't try to blast it with his missiles in the way._

The missiles struck the meteor causing a massive black cloud to form.

 _Amazing, he actually did it._

Once the cloud was clear, it was evident that the meteor had not been effected at all. The flashlight on the Geth's head flickered.

"Unfortunate. Not quite powerful enough."

 _Damn it. The meteor is only 30 seconds away from impact. In order for my biotic blast to charge fully, I need five seconds. But it's already dangerously close. What if I hit it and it breaks into pieces and still causes destruction. Is it even worth it? Damn it!_

"The first key is to remain calm."

Kaiden paused when he heard a voice behind him. He swung around to see Thane standing there, the tail of his coat fluttering in the breeze.

"You're far too young to worry about what ifs. Your mind is best when it is calm, at peace. The best course of action is to proceed with an air of improvisation."

 _The best course is to improvise..._

Suddenly, Shepard came across his mind.

 _If the outcome won't change either way, who am I to just lay down and die. I have to at least try to give it my all!_

Kaiden's body glowed and began to pulse.

"THANE GET DOWN!"

 _There's no point in worrying about repercussions. I just need to pour everything I have into one shot!_

Kaiden poured all of his power into one blast and aimed it at the meteor.

"I... I don't think it's working..."

"Wait, I think I see the meteor being pushed back!"

"Really?"

"Oh. No, that must've just been my imagination."

His strength waned until he finally collapsed on the ground.

 _So this is the end._

"There're only nine more seconds. You might as well leave now. There's no point in staying here any longer."

"Hey, Drell," the two of them heard from behind. They turned to Shepard's approach. "Take care of Kaiden."

"Wait, who sent you," Thane requested.

"Me? I just do this for fun."

Shepard squatted down, and with all of her strength, leaped into the air, soaring towards the meteor.

"What in the name of Kalahira is she doing?"

"J... just watch."

As she soared she readied her fist.

"NOT IN MY HOMETOWN!"

She reached the meteror and blasted it so hard it shattered into pieces. The splinters from the meteor ended up crashing into multiple buildings, causing city wide destruction. As the chunks of rock rained upon Vancouver, Shepard gracefully landed in the street.

"Well, I guess that takes care of that."

* * *

The next day, Shepard and Kaiden watched the news as it delivered a briefing on the previous days events.

"Although Vancouver was able to avoid total destruction from the meteor, the city was still relentlessly devastated with the destructive effects of the fragments visible everywhere."

"Look at this. If only the Council had called you to help instead of me. If you and the Geth Prime worked in conjunction, we could have probably averted the crisis all together."

"Well that Geth wasn't really too hell bent on helping, was he? I say there's no point in worrying about it, now. I think we kept the damage to a minimum. No one died, day saved, the end."

 _She's right. If it had landed, everything would've been decimated for miles around. Stopping it was no short of a miracle. I wouldn't be surprised if people made Shepard out to be a hero, but some people are painting her out to be the bad guy for causing the partial destruction of the city, despite saving everyone as a whole. Ah, I guess I shouldn't mention it to her. It doesn't seem like she cares too much about it, anyway._

"Hey, do you think that what we did moved us up in the ranks?"

"Actually it did. Legion and I moved up a single spot within the S Class.

"That's awesome. What about me?"

"You moved up in the C Class from 100th place to 5th place."

"ARE YOU KIDDING ME? NINETY FIVE SPOTS, THAT'S INSANE!"

"What you did was nothing short of selfless heroism, Shepard. If there was less damage, they might've even made you Class A, or even Class S!"

"Also, one more question. Whenever they describe these events on the news they use phrases like Category I and Category II. Does that really mean anything?"

"Yes, in fact: Category IV is any threat that poses a danger of an unknown degree, Category III is any crisis that threatens the lives of a large number of people, Category II is a threat to a city and its people, Category I is a threat to multiple cities, and Category 0 is a threat to the survival of humanity in general. I think that some of the Spectres take the threat level into consideration when deciding whether or not to respond. But that doesn't matter to you."

"Of course not. If heroes run away, who's left to help," Shepard finished with a smile.

A startled look came over Kaiden's face and he pulled out a journal and started scribbling.

"Um, what are you doing?"

"Recording your words of wisdom!"

"Okay..." Shepard stood up and started putting on her suit. "Anyway, I'm going out for a while."

"Wait, I want to come with you!"

"Just stay here. If anything heroic happens, you'll just end up getting all the credit," she said, jokingly. Shepard exited the apartment forgetting to put on her boots.

* * *

 _Jeez this place is a total wreck,_ Shepard thought as she walked through the town.

 _Aww man, my favorite grocery store got smashed, yet that old apartment I got kicked out of is just fine. Just my luck._

As she was turning away, she heard someone behind her attempting to grab her attention.

"HEY YOU! SCARFACE, OVER HERE!"

"Huh, who are you?"

"I'm Tarquin Victus, remember? HEY, DAD! THIS IS THE WOMAN I WAS TELLING YOU ABOUT!"

Another Turian popped seemingly out of nowhere taking an aggressive stance.

"So it's you. You're the one that takes the credit for work done by Class S Spectres to jump the rankings?"

"Huh?"

"Nobody could jump up to rank five so quickly without cheating you cheater," the younger Turian cried.

"Okay. So what do you two want?"

"What do we want? We're here to beat you up so bad that you'll never-"

"Hold on, son. She's not going to learn from that type of lesson. We'll make her pay in the most brutal way possible." The older Turian took a deep breath. "HEY YOU? AREN'T YOU THE ONE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE DESTRUCTION OF THIS CITY," he shouted at the top of his lungs. "AND YOU WALK AROUND LIKE YOU'RE SOME KIND OF HERO, LIKE YOU AREN'T RESPONSIBLE FOR THIS?" As he continued to spew his nonsense, a crowd began to gather around them. "OF COURSE YOU DON'T REALIZE WHAT YOU'VE DONE. LOOK AT THIS PLACE. IT'S A TOTAL WRECK AND IT'S ALL YOUR FAULT!"

By the time he was finished, a sizeable crowd had gathered and began to egg him on, some even throwing in comments of their own.

"He's right."

"This place is a mess."

"My home was destroyed because of her!"

"LOOK AT THEM ALL! VICTIMS OF YOUR WRECKLESS ACTIONS!"

"Yeah! It is all her fault!"

"HAVE YOU EVEN THOUGHT TO TAKE RESPONSIBILITY!"

"Yeah, asshole! Where am I going to live now?"

 _These people are totally eating it up,_ the older Turian thought.

"YOU'RE NO SPECTRE. MAYBE YOU SHOULD JUST GIVE IT UP! GIVE IT UP, GIVE IT UP!"

By now the riot was in full swing and everyone was chanting along.

"GIVE IT UP, GIVE IT UP, GIVE IT UP!"

Thane stood atop a nearby building watching the interaction, his hand clasped together as if in prayer.

 _Shepard, without a shadow of a doubt you saved the city, and look how they are treating you. You are undoubtedly a strong woman, the strongest woman I've ever seen, which is why I will not interfere. I don't want to influence you. I'd hate to see you rotting away in this industry. I fear that your best course of action may be to resign._

He bowed his head.

"HEY LOOK, EVERYONE! SHE'S GETTING READY TO FIGHT," the older Turian shouted as he pointed.

"Huh, what are you talking about?"

"REALLY? YOU'RE GOING TO TAKE OUT YOUR FRUSTRATION ON THESE PEOPLE HERE? JUST LIKE YOU DESTROYED THEIR CITY? DO YOU JUST KILL EVERYONE YOU DON'T LIKE? I WON'T LET YOU DO THAT! MY SON AND I ARE GOING TO TAKE YOU DOWN!"

Thane continued to observe.

 _So, they are looking to crush a rookie while feeding off of a publicity stunt at the same time. I'd say they've gotten a little greedy. It's no wonder they are unable to rise above Class B._

Thane turned away.

"THE VICTUS' WILL TAKE DOWN ANYONE WHO STRAYS FROM THE PATH OF A SPECTRE!"

The younger Turian dove at Shepard and she smacked him away sending him flying. The older one, angered by the treatment of his son, dove at Shepard, but she caught his arm.

"AHHHHHH, PLEASE LET GO, YOU'RE CRUSHING MY TALONS!"

"Are you serious?"

"YES! PLEASE, I'M SORRY FOR ALL THOSE LIES I SPREAD ABOUT YOU I'LL TAKE THEM ALL BACK IF YOU JUST PLEASE LET GO!"

"Nope, you weren't lying." She turned to face the crowd. "I'M THE ONE WHO SMASHED THE METEOR. IF YOU HAVE A COMPLAINT, SPEAK UP. LET'S HERE IT!"

One rioter actually did decide to speak up.

"BECAUSE OF YOU, MY CAR-"

"SHUT YOUR DAMN MOUTH. TAKE YOUR PROBLEMS UP WITH THE METEOR, NOT ME, ASSHOLE." Shepard loosened her grip on the Turians talon. "LISTEN UP, I DON'T DO THIS FOR ADMIRATION OR APPROVAL OR ANY OF THAT. I DO IT BECAUSE I WANT TO."

"But you're the one who-"

"WHAT DID YOU SAY?"

Just then, Kaiden showed up.

"Shepard, we should go home."

"Just a minute, Kaiden. These people were just-"

"Shepard..." They both stopped and stared at each other for a moment.

"Hm. You really think we should?"

* * *

Shepard and Kaiden walked home as the sun was setting.

"Uh, that guy. His face is burned into my brain. I'll never forget him."

"Shepard, I want you to know I've never met anyone as amazing as you."

"Huh. What brought that on?"

"Even if no one else appreciates you or what you've done, I'll still follow you."

Shepard met his eyes, then quickly turned away.

"You don't have to butter me up, Kaiden."

Even though it seemed to him as if she took the compliment lightly, she still smiled at the thought. They continued the rest of their walk home in silence as the sun set on the city.


End file.
